Demographics and huge pension burdens already spell financial armageddon. But wait. there's more. The 2010s are going to be an era of intense shocks. Better to mentally accept the changes now so that you do not feel psychologically shocked as you navigate thru what is in store. My advice: Adjust to what's coming before circumstances force change. If you change jobs, careers, move, lower your living standard or make other changes before forced to do so you can make these changes with less stress, less of a feeling of loss, and with much better outcomes from each change. Change from a position of strength rather than wait till you have to change from a position of weakness.

With much fewer net taxpayers in future generations government's reach has got to pull back to more modest goals that fit with much more modest means. The last generation of white civil service workers will feel screwed up this process. But they did nothing to stop the processes that will seal their fate.

The legislative district re-apportionment that comes after the 2010 census will probably give the Dems a lock on the state Assembly and Senate. They will be able to pass any laws they want. Some may be overturned by the State Supreme court, but eventually the court will be all Dems. At this point the last (white) taxpayers will flee the state. This time is not far off.

Then the state will live off printing press money from the Feds. Other states will be jealous of this and demand the same thing. Then the Wiemar inflation begins. A continental-sized train wreck. Living in the USA is to live in Idiocracy the movie.

I doubt that Bernanke will destroy the dollar to bail out one state. It won't work anyway well because the problem is not just past spending it is an ongoing mismatch between revenue and expenses. CA will have to lower government spending at some point.

The Sanity Inspector, I provided copious links that you should click thru and read.

California kid, It certainly looks like moving out is becoming a more compelling idea.

Mercer, The Feds will run the printing presses to save themselves, not the states.

I'm wondering if we will continue to go thru a deflationary downturn due to Peak Oil or if the US government will eventually embrace inflation. There's a lot of smart money ready to flee the moment that an inflationary path becomes clear.